


Loyalty

by intheinkpot



Series: Whumptober 2019 [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alecto does not injure herself but intentionally puts off seeking medical attention, Dysfunctional Family, F/F, Indirect Self-Harm, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Self-Worth Issues, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-07 11:09:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20974922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intheinkpot/pseuds/intheinkpot
Summary: Alecto blames herself when Bellatrix is nearly killed by Amycus. Hermione comes to find her.





	Loyalty

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: stab wound

Kingsley Shacklebolt sat at his desk, hands steepled together in front of him. “I’m sorry we have to do this now, but it’s important while your memories are still fresh.”

Alecto sat in a chair opposite him, staring blankly at him. Blood - Bellatrix’s blood - still stained the hem of her sleeves and the front of her robes. The back of her right hand stung, aggravated by the leather glove she had put on.

“Of course, Minister,” she said. 

“In the meantime, I’ve heard from St Mungos. Hermione is there with Bellatrix, who is now stable. It seems you were correct about the type of poison Amycus used,” he said. His voice was a low rumbling voice that Alecto usually found soothing. Tonight it grated on her nerves. She wanted to be alone.

_ “Amycus!” Alecto chased him into the field, Bellatrix close behind. “Amycus, stop! Potter and Weasley’ll be here any second!” _

_ Amycus stopped, spun around and raised his wand. “Traitor!” _

_ Alecto held up her hands, though she did not drop her wand. “I can get yeh out of here, out of the country, if yeh just let me.” _

_ “What’s that, eh? Why should I trust yeh?” Amycus spat, eyeing her suspiciously. _

_ “Because yer me brother. Don’t that mean anythin’?” _

Kingsley cleared his throat. “What happened?”

“Two suspects. We split up to chase: Bella and me, Potter and Weasley. Didn't know who we was chasin’ until after. Both wore cloaks with their hoods up. Amycus hood blew off while we was chasin’ ‘im.” Alecto cleared her throat. “We stopped him. He surrendered. We got careless.” She gripped the armrests, ignoring the burning on the back of her hand. “ _ I _ got careless.”

_ Bellatrix disarmed Amycus, but let his wand fall to the grass. She made no move to pick it up. “Don’t point your wand at her.” _

_ Alecto shot Bellatrix an annoyed look. “I was fine, Bella. Me and Amycus was just chattin’.” She turned back to Amycus, lowering her hand. “We got properties in plenty of places. Just let me help yeh, and you’ll be out of the country.” _

_ “But still hunted,” he snarled. “Cause of yeh and yer blood traitor bitch.” _

_ Alecto glared at him. “Don’t call ‘er that. Do yeh want me help or not?” _

_ Amycus eyed her, considering. Alecto felt her nerves straining. Potter and Weasley could find them at any moment. _

_ “Fine,” he spat.  _

_ Alecto relaxed. He could be angry with her all he wanted. As long as he took her help, they had plenty of time to work it out. _

“He surrendered?” Kingsley asked. “Just like that? He’s attacked other Aurors before.”

Alecto glared at him. “It was a trap, obviously.”

“It didn’t occur to you - ”

“That my brother would try to kill the woman I love?” Alecto swallowed, clenching her right fist, feeling the back of her hand burn and sting from the stretch of her skin and the rub of the leather. “No. I was careless and stupid.”

There was a knock on the office door. WIthout waiting for a response, Potter entered.

“I just got back from St Mungos. Do we have to do this now? Can’t it wait?” 

“In other circumstances, perhaps. But there is the matter of Auror Carrow’s use of lethal force - and an Unforgivable Curse - to deal with, and  _ that _ cannot wait.”

“She was defending herself,” Potter protested. 

Alecto resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow at him, wondering where his self righteousness had gone. She glanced down at his scarlet robes and saw darker patches of red along the front and around the knees, and knew it was somewhere in a field with Bellatrix’s blood.

_ The dagger flashed in the sunlight filtering through the cloudy sky. Alecto didn’t know why that detail struck her so vividly. It plunged into Bellatrix’s side, and Amycus yanked it back toward him as he pulled it out. Bellatrix screamed, stumbling forward. _

_ “Bella!” Alecto lunged, catching her before she hit the ground. She stared up at Amycus frantically. “What - ” _

_ “Traitors get what they deserve,” Amycus snarled. “She poisoned yeh, turned yer head all the wrong way round.” _

_ Alecto pressed one hand against Bellatrix’s side, desperate to stem the bleeding, and pointed her wand at the sky, shooting off red sparks. She was rubbish at healing spells. She needed Potter and Weasley to help her get Bellatrix to St Mungos. _

_ Amycus slashed his dagger at her hand, too slow to stop the sparks launching into the sky. Alecto yanked her hand back, the blade barely missing her. Amycus lunged for his wand in the grass. A crack announced the arrival of Potter. Jumping to his feet, Amycus spun around, wand snapping up, pointing at Bellatrix -  _

_ “Ava - ”  _

_ “Avada Kedevra!” Alecto cried, anger and instinct boiling and swirling inside her, and with a thrill of satisfaction, she watched the jet of green light hit Amycus square in the chest, saw the light leave his eyes. As his body crumpled to the ground with a dull thud, the satisfaction snuffed out, leaving only horror. _

She wasn’t sure how long it was that Kingsley kept her in her office, making her answer what felt like the same questions over and over again, trying to pull out new details, comb over every decision made, while Potter came to her defense. She wondered if he would have done this had she not been involved with Hermione.

When Kingsley let her go, she trudged to the Aurors office. She was sure she had a fresh pair of robes there... Potter walked with her, strangely silent, and she welcomed that. Maybe he sensed she didn’t want to talk.

“I’m going to fill out me report in Hermione’s office,” she said when they reached the office. 

“Your not going to St Mungos?” he asked carefully.

“Kingsley’s right, it’s best to do it while me memory is fresh.” She grabbed a change of robes, some parchment, ink and quills from her cubicle, and hid in Hermione’s office before Potter could stop her.

She settled on the couch in front of the fireplace, placed her parchment and ink on the coffee table in front of her and lit the fireplace. Hissing in pain, she tugged her gloves off and examined the cut on the back of her hand. The skin around the wound was inflamed and webbed with dark veins. 

The cut had caught her attention while she and Potter had tried desperately to get Bellatrix to St Mungos before it was too late, blood soaking their hands and the ground beneath them. When they had gotten Bellatrix there, Alecto had hidden her hand until she had been able to slip away and find a pair of gloves. 

She wasn’t sure when Amycus had nicked her with the blade. It didn’t matter, she supposed. The poison he had chosen was not quick acting. If she waited a few hours to do her report first, the worst that would happen to her would be getting violently ill. 

Nothing she didn’t deserve. Bellatrix had almost died because of her.

Guilt gnawed at her insides. She hunched over the coffee table, ignoring the increasing pain in her hand or the way it started to throb, the new ache in her wrist, and squirming in her stomach. Scratching away at her report, trying to be objective and detained about murdering her own brother, Alecto felt brittle and broken, barely held together. 

Bellatrix deserved better. Alecto should be at St Mungos with her right now instead of hiding with paperwork. 

Bellatrix had nearly died because of her, she had no busy being anywhere near her... How could Alecto face her? Why would Bellatrix or Hermione even want to see her?

Sometime later, the door opened, and she looked up, aggravated, ready to snap at Potter for disturbing her. But her gaze landed on Hermione, and the aggravation vanished, replaced by shame. 

“How is Bella?” she asked softly.

“She’s fine,” Hermione said, closing the door behind her. She crossed the space between and sat beside Alecto. “She’s giving the healers a hard time. They want to keep her overnight for observation, but they think she’ll be okay to go home in the morning.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Alecto rubbed her brow, exhaustion weighing down her shoulders. “When I realized the blade was poisoned...”

_ Harry dropped to his knees beside Bellatrix, breaking Alecto out of her trance. She wrenched her gaze away from her brother’s body. Harry pulled away the torn fabric of Bellatrix’s robes from her wounds, pushing it aside to get a better look. It was difficult to see with all the blood pouring from the wound, but Alecto caught sight of dark webbing already beginning to branch from the edges of the wound. _

_ “It’s poisoned,” she said, struggling to keep calm. “We have to get her to St Mungos,  _ now.  _ Help me!” _

_ Harry struggled to help Alecto gather Bellatrix into her arms. They winced at each cry Bellatrix made as they lifted her off the ground. _

_ “Alecto...” Bellatrix gasped. Her breathing was ragged.  _

_ “I’m sorry, Bella, it’ll be okay. We’re going to St Mungos, you’ll be okay, I’m sorry...” She shuddered, feeling her robes dampen with Bellatrix’s blood. There was so much blood...so much... _

Hermione placed a hand on Alecto’s forearm. “Harry said you knew what the poison was. You saved her life. If the healers had to waste time testing it to find the antidote...”

Alecto took a shuddering breath. “He’s my - was my - brother.” She swallowed hard, eyes shining. “I knew what he liked.”

Hermione slid her hand up along Alecto’s arm to take hold of her hand. “Bella told me what happened. I’m sorry, Alecto.” She brushed her thumb against the back of Alecto’s hand.

Alecto hissed and snatched her hand away from Hermione, an instinctive move she regretted when Hermione seized her hand and yanked it back, staring at the cut on the back of Alecto’s hand.

“He got you too?” she cried. “What aren’t you in the hospital?”

“I dunno if he meant it,” Alecto said, subdued. He might have just meant to startle her when he slashed at her hand. “It’s just a little cut. I’ll go after I’m finished with me reports.”

“No. You’re going  _ now _ .”

“It don’t work that fast. I’ll be fine.”

“Alecto...”

“Anyways, don’t be sorry. He wasn’t that great of a brother, in the end. No use cryin’ over him.”

Hermione stroked Alecto’s cheek, and Alecto felt that fragile thing inside her splinter more. “That’s not how grief works. I know you still love him. I’m so sorry, Alecto.”

Alecto’s face screwed up in pain. She tried to hold herself together - and failed, bursting into tears. “That fucking - Why did he  _ do _ that?”

Hermione pulled Alecto into her arms, holding her tight as she trembled and gasped for breath. Sobs ripped themselves from deep in her chest.

“It’s my fault,” Alecto cried. “Bella never should’ve been hurt... I thought I talked him down... I was...” She fisted her hands in Hermione’s robes, and despite the shame and guilt that burned in her chest, she admitted, “I was goin’ ter let him go, say he got away... He was agreeing and everything... Was goin’ ter help him get out of the country, hide somewhere safe...”

Hermione kissed the top of Alecto’s head and rubbed her back soothingly. The rebuke Alecto expected never came. Drawing some courage from that, she continued.

“Then he pulled out the knife... I wasn’t fast enough, I tried... There was so much blood... He went fer his wand again, he was pointin’ it at Bella, and I...well...I stopped him.”

Hermione stroked Alecto’s hair. “What happened is no one’s fault but Amycus’s. He made his own choices.”

Alecto pressed closer against Hermione. “He blamed Bellatrix for me turning blood traitor. He ain’t wrong, I’d follow Bella anywhere, and when she started thinkin’ about the Dark Lord losing and what it’d mean for Narcissa and me...and then she were drawn to yeh...” Alecto pulled back, suddenly nervous. “I don’t regret it, mind. I’d follow ‘er to yeh all over again. I just...”

She sat up, staring down at the cut on her hand, eyes dull. “Bella changed so much for her sisters. Why couldn’t Amycus change for me, not even a little?” 

What was wrong with her that not even her own sibling cared about her?

Hermione stroked Alecto’s hair. “I’m sorry. I wish I knew.” She turned Alecto’s head to face her and pressed her forehead against Alecto’s, closing her eyes. “You’re getting lost in your thoughts again. Come back here, to me.” 

Alecto took a deep breath and let it out slowly, struggling to focus on Hermione. Amycus may not have cared about her, but Hermione was still here with her. Hermione cared. Bellatrix cared. They loved her. 

Hermione stood up and gently tugged Alecto to her feet. “Let’s get you checked out. You’ve already done everything that needs to be completed tonight. Anything else can wait. Bellatrix needs you. I need you too. And you need us.”

Too exhausted and in too much pain to argue, Alecto nodded and allowed herself to be led from the office.

* * *

A second bed was added to Bellatrix’s room at St Mungos, which visibly took a weight off of Hermione. Alecto was glad to be able to keep an eye on Bellatrix too, although she almost wished for her own room when Bellatrix started yelling at her.

“Was only a few hours,” Alecto grumbled, shrinking under Bellatrix’s furious glare, hiding her bandaged hand with her good one. “Just a nick, really.”

“You  _ have _ to take better care of yourself. You’re important, Alecto.”

_ No, I’m not _ .

Bellatrix’s expression softened. “And what happened wasn’t your fault. You don’t have to punish yourself.”

Alecto looked away. Of course, Bellatrix would know exactly what she had been thinking. “If I had treated him like anyone else this never would have happened.”

“If you had treated him like anyone else, you wouldn’t be the woman I love - well,  _ one _ of the women, anyway,” Bellatrix said gently with a small smile. Her smile faded. “I will never judge you for loyalty to your family. I’m only sorry that he did not prove worthy of it.”

Alecto crumbled, feeling herself shatter completely. Dropping her head into Bella’s lap, burying her face into her stomach, Alecto sobbed again. Bella stroked her hair soothingly, and Hermione rubbed her back. Their touch grounded her. 

“I’m sorry... I’m so sorry...” 

They held her tight and comforted her until she was too tired to cry anymore. 

Hermione kissed her cheek, pushed Alecto’s bed up against Bellatrix’s, and guided Alecto into it. Alecto winced as she settled down, her whole body beginning to ache. Reaching out, she took Bellatrix’s hand and laced their fingers together. Bellatrix smiled at her, looking sleepy. Hermione settled back into her chair, dimming the lights in the room.

“Get some rest, you two,” Hermione whispered. “I’ll be here all night.”

Alecto slipped off into a fitful sleep, filled with dreams of sharp gleaming sunlight, flashes of green light and Amycus’s sneering face.


End file.
